Bowling alley auxiliary platform



1954 J. D. CORONITI 2,686,054

' BOWLING ALLEY AUXILIARY PLATFORM Patented Aug. 10, 1954 TED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE BOWLING. ALLEY AUXIIJIARY BLA'IFORM Josefih'l). Coroniti, Scranton, Pa. ApplicationJimm26, 1953, Serial N0. 364,272

..This inven'tion r61ates "t gameden'z'ices, and. m'ore 'particularly 1:0 :improvements in "Bowling alleys.

The "main' object '0'f' the invention is"topro'- =vie a no'vel and improvedboWling "alley accessoryfr temporarily moflifying a regulation bowlingalley Tor use by children, whereby the "errectiVe length 0f the bowling .a11ey is'shortened, the improved device b'eing simplain construc- 'tion. being easy1o p1ace in positionan'd being arranged "t0 prdtect 'the undexlying surfa'ce' "OI' theowling alley on =whi 3h it isemploytcl;

Aftnther object 01' the invention ist'o pro-- vide an improved auxiliary playersplatftsrmattachment for use With a bowling alley of Gonventional size, the vplatform being inexpensive to 'fabricate,being durable in cons"truction, being comparatively=-light =in weight, and being readily installed when its use isrequired.

Fur-ther =objects and advantages of theainvention will lbecome apparentfr.0m the i'following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view 015 a conventional bowling alley provided with an improved auxiliary players plaoform according to the present invention, whereby the bowling alley may be employed by children.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the players platform attachment employed in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional detail view taken on the 1ine 3-3 cf Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective bottom view of the auxiliary players platform attachment employed. in Figures 1, 3 and 4.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of auxiliary players platform constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 7 is an enlarged transverse vertical cross sectional view taken on the 1ine 'I'I of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings, I I designates a nonventional bowling al1ey of the type having upstanding side Walls I2 and I3 and respective gutters I4 and. I5 located inwardly adjacent the upstanding walls I2 and. I3, the gutters I4 and I5 leading 130 the usual players platform I6 located ab the end of the alley. The side wal1 I2 is formed in its top surface with the ba11 return gutter l I by means of which the pin boy may return the ba1ls which have been rolled by the player to the forward end cf the alley. Balls which have not reached the forward end of the alley will be returned in the gutters I4 and I5 I;o I;he players platform I6.

"Designate'dgenereilly atil 8 is an auxiliary p'1ayers platform which may"be employed'to S'hoten the effective'len-gth of. the a11ey w'hereiby the a11ey may be used by chi1dren. The auXiliary players"phtform attachmen't I8 compfises a generally reccangular board I9 of suitable rigid she'et material such as plywood or 'the 1ike, the'board I9 being dimensioned 130 fit smoothly bet'Ween the respect'ive upstanding si'de wzi1ls12.and/I3 .of the alley, as shown in Figure 4 with re1at'ively litt1e c'learance, the C1earance being 01'11y that required so readily insert the board be'tween the wa;1lsl3and I4 and to remove same w'henits USS-15 langer requirei Secured the-'-bdt'tom su1face of the board 'I9iis a protective layer2il of cushioziing materia1, such as fe1t 01' vthe C1ike, which is provided 110 protectthe playing-.surface2l of the alley. Designated.at 22,122 a1e respective dependingrib merribers secured tothe bottomsurfaces o'f the respective si'de marginal portions of the platform board I9, the r'ib als ments 22 being spaced so as tobe receivedl'in the gutters I4 and I5. As shown inFigure 1, the auxiliary platform I9 may be disposed forwardly adjacent the usual players platform I6, With the ribs 22 received. in the gutters I4 and. I5. The ribs 22, 22 are each provided. on their outer surfaces with a layer of cushioning protective material 23, such as felt or the 1ike, simi1ar tu the 1ayers cf cushioning material 29 provided on the bottom' surface of the board I9.

The auxiliary players attachment I9 may be of any desired length, depending upon the amount by which it is intended to shorten the effective length of the alley.

Referring now to the form of the invention shown in Figures 6 and. 7, the modified form cf auxiliary players platform is designated generally ab I8 and comprises a main rectangular body I9 of suitable rigid material, such as plywood or the like, the board I9 having secured to its side marginal portions the respective depending hollow rib elements 22, 22 spaced be received in the gutters I4 and I5 of the bowling alley. Secured I;o the bottom surface of the board. I9 is the protective layer of cushioning material 20, which may be a sheet of fe1t or the like. As shown in Figure 7, the protective layer 29 extends between the hollovv ribs 22 and the marginal portions of the bottom surface of the board I9. As is further shown in Figure '7 the hollow ribs 22 project laterally beyond the side edges of the main platform board I9 and secured on the hollow ribs 22 adjaceni: the side edges of sheet I9 are the fi11e1 strips 24 which extend longitudinally on tlie ribs 22 and which fill in the space between the side edges of sheet I9 and the outer side edges cf the ribs 22. As in the previously described form of the invention, the depending ribs are provided with protective layers 23 of cushioning material, such as felt or the like secured on the outer surfaces of the ribs to proteco the surfaces cf the gutters 14 and I5 When the attachment is disposed in operating position on the bowling alley.

As in the previously described form of the invention, the length of the auxiliary platform I8 may be cf any desired value, ancl preferably is of different values for difierent age groups of children, the auxiliary platform being langer for younger children.

It will be readily apparent that by the use of either of the auxiliary platform attachments above described, a conventional bowling alley may be readily converted for use by children without requiring any permanent physical alteration. Qf the alley, anal the auxiliary plaoform will laben enable the alley to be used by children nnder the usual rules employed in bowling contests. Thus, the foul line will be located at the forward end of the auxiliary platform instead of ab the forward am]. of the fixed players platform I8.

While certain specific embodiments of improved auxiliary players platform attachments for use with a bowling alley have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be umlerstoocl that various modiflcations within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skillecl in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed an the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An auxiliary players platform attachment for use with a bowling alley cf the type having upstanding side marginal Walls ancl gutterg inwardly adjacent said walls leading to a fixed players platform als the en-d 0f the alley comprising a generally rectangular platfnrm board of rigid sheet material formed to be received between said side marginal Walls, a protective layer of cushioning material 011 the bottom surface of said board, and respective depending rib elements secured in parallel relationship to each other 120 the bottom surfaces of the respective side marginal portions of said platform board, said rib elements being arranged to be received in said gutters, whereby the platform board may be disposed forwardly adjacent the fixed platform.

2. An auxiliary players platform attachment for use with a bowling alley of the type having upstanding side marginal Walls and gutters inwardly adjacent said Walls leading to a fixed players platform at the end of the alley comprising a generally rectangular platform board of rigid sheet material formed to be received between said sicle marginal Walls, a protective layer of cushioning material 011 the bottom surface of said board, respective depending hollow rib elements se'cureol in parallel relationship to each other to the bottom surfaces o1 the resg'nective side marginal portions of said platform board, said rib elements being arranged so be received in said g1itters, Whereby the platform board may be disposed forwardly adjacent the fixed platform, a plurality o'f longitudinally extending filler strips secured an the top surfaces of the ribs adjacent the longitudinal edges of the board define a bocly substantially fitting between said sid.e marginal walls ancl a protective layer of cushioning material on the outer surface of each rib.

References cma in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 706,925 Gibson Aug. 12, 1902 2296471 Kennedy Sept. 22, 1942 

